Before and after... paintblob no. 1

I made paintblobs after having seen a video by Carla Sonheim.
She has awesome drawing exercises!

I used Indian ink on small cards.

So this is before:

And after:

#carlasonheim #drawingexercise #paintblob #happydrawing

Rugs from Portugal

In the East of Portugal you can find beautiful handcrafted rugs, 

they are called "Mantas Alentejanas".

In the picturesque village Reguengos de Monsaraz, 

we visited a small shop which promotes this handcraft. 

We spoke to Mizette Nielsen who is working hard to preserve this craft, 

see for more information here.

The rugs are sturdy, sustainable and beautifully made in lots of different colour combinations.

I wish we had such a craft in the Netherlands! Maybe I should research that...

In our hotel there were several carpets on the floor, slightly different, but I liked them as well.

#mantasalentejanas #frolicportugal #portugalhandmade #mizzete

Building a painting

To me painting a person is a bit like making a sculpture: 

you start with studying the shapes and forms,

you make corrections,

you look at light and dark colours,

you study the expression,

and each time you adjust.

My brush feels like an extension of my hand in shaping the model.

Maybe you can see it in this painting which is in the process of being built:

Small painting on panel, by ZIZOlabel

Loving what you do

I have been busy in the garden and in the studio,

harvesting fruits and beans,

and working on various paintings.

It is so good to work on something you love doing.

Moods - small panel by ZIZOlabel

The waterside...

Worked on this painting some more, and finished it.

The waterside, painting by ZIZOlabel

Inspiration came from the landscape surrounding me:

Ameland... nice island in the sea

In August and September my products are for sale in a gallery on Ameland,

a well-known island in the Netherlands.

A lot of tourists visit this island,

so hopefully they will buy some of my products.

The gallery is called Zee van Kunst, see here.

It is a very nice gallery, with lots of modern handmade products and art.
Close to the sea and log beaches.

And some more summer pictures...

Catching the last light of the day flowing over our vegetable garden...

Love the softness of the colours, 

and love making photos/pictures.